An Introduction to Author Publishing

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Description

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Writing and publishing a book is a huge feat of artistic expression. Just a few years ago, an author’s creative input into their work would virtually cease the moment they handed their finished manuscript to a publishing house. However, this was not always the case, and new technologies now allow independent authors once again to retain control of the entire creative process. So-called “self-publishing” is actually a collaborative creative effort of diverse professionals, in which the primary creator takes the driving seat. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on independent authors making the creative, production and marketing decisions about their own work, while retaining and exercising their rights to their own work.

Participants in this course will learn how to publish their writing projects to a professional level, harnessing the latest technology to do so, learning where to look for the resources they need and avoiding many expensive pitfalls along the way. This course is aimed at authors of all kinds, both fiction and non-fiction. The content is divided into seven sessions.

Course Outline

1. Introduction and preparing your text. An introduction to publishing, author-published or otherwise. Why publish your own work? What are the options? We start with a quick introduction to the world of publishing, independent or otherwise, and a brief breakdown of the course ahead along with the learning outcomes we will achieve. Preparing your text. How to self-edit your text before submitting it to an editor.
2. Working with an editor. Discussion on preparing your text for an editor. Finding and working with an editor: keys to a successful collaboration: Where do I find an editor for my work? What should I look for? What questions should I ask them? What does an editor expect from me? How much will this cost? How should I respond to having my work edited? This section deals with all of these questions, outlining the process of finding and working with a professional editor, managing expectations and explaining what you need to do at each step in the process. Working in pairs or small groups on text revision. List of editors.
3. Cover design.  What makes a good cover? A discussion of genres. In this session we analyse genre and where your book fits into the publishing picture. We discuss the overriding importance of a good cover and what elements a good cover design should contain. We begin to address marketing questions. What are the options for cover design? Where can I find a designer for my book? What is the process of working with a designer? Can I design my own cover?  Research on the Internet. Working with a professional designer: keys to a successful collaboration. List of cover designers.
4. Interior layout. Parts of a book: front matter, back matter, chapter and page formatting. This session includes a brief rundown on ebook formatting and the various options for laying out the interior of your printed book. A discussion of manual and automatic formatting. How good are the biggest self-publishing platforms such as Amazon CreateSpace, Ingram Spark, Smashwords and others, along with layout options from free to paid. We discuss which is better – print, ebook, audio and other formats – and in which order of publishing. We also talk about ISBNs. What are they? Should you have one? If so, where do you get an ISBN and how do you use it? Can I do it myself? What does a professional charge? Tricks and rules for laying out your book.
5. Production and distribution. What production options are there? Print on demand or short run? Print, ebook and audio. Printing, uploading, distributing, distribution rights – getting all of this right is a tricky process and one where mistakes can be costly. We look at the range of options available, among which independent authors can choose. Which format: print, ebook or audio? When and how to launch each. Making choices in production to solve your distribution needs. The nexus of production, distribution and marketing. An introduction to marketing. 
6. Marketing and promotion. Who is your market? Finding your readers. A hands-on exercise for defining your reader persona. Specific marketing approaches. How do you begin to market your book? What is a marketing plan? Should I employ a publicist? How much money do I want to spend? What returns can I expect? A discussion of different traditional advertising and social media channels. The Dos and Don’ts of do-it-yourself marketing. Marketing tools. Social media.
7. Establishing your author brand. Boldly into the future. What’s in a name? A general discussion of brand marketing. Who am I as an author and public figure? Defining one or more reader profiles. Do I need a website? How do I use social media? Click to purchase. Your next book. Writing a series. Perma-free and other options. An overview and further discussion of the entire course content. A summary of publishing formats. Discussion of questions and concerns raised throughout the course. Brainstorming exercises for marketing initiatives. Further resources for independent authors.

Bring your lunch each day. We'll provide tea and coffee.